Bag or envelop closure.



No. 847,353. PATENTED MAR-19, 1907.

J. B. MERKELS.

BAG 0R ENVELOP CLOSURE APPLICATION FILED JULY 2a, 1906.

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bend the metal fastening-strip back and urunn .s'r rns PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. MERKELS, OF CHIGAGQILLINOIS.

BAG on ENVELOP oLosuRE.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. MERKELS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bag or Envelop Closures, of

hich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a closure for bags, envelops, and the like, and is particularly applicable to bags which are used for sending merchandise through the mails, especially such merchandise as seeds, grain, and the like.

The object of the invention is to produce a closure and fastener which can be opened at will without disturbing the same from its connection with the bag and which will hold the mouth of the bag closed, so that leakage will be prevented. 1

The closure is produced by means of a strip of paper or the like, which is secured by mucilage to the bag or envelop near the mouth thereof, and the flaps ofv the bag or envelop are doubled and folded within said strip, the folds and strip producing an effective closure. The fastening for the closure consists of a piece of flexiblemetal,

which is cemented at one end between the strip and the side of the venvelop or bag, the other end being free and in a position to be folded over the folds of the paper parts to securely hold the same-in closed position.

To open the closure it is simply necessaryto unfold the parts.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein the invention is illustrated, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bag provided with the improvement, the parts being in unfolded or open position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly closed. Fig. 3 is a similar view,'c'losed.

Referring speci ally to the drawings, the respective side walls of the bag or envelop are indicated at 6 and 7. Secured to one of these sides, which in case of an envelop will be the back thereof, is a strip 8, the upper edge of which is located at the line 9 of the main or first fold of the closure. This strip is secured to the receptacle by mucilage or cement and covers the upper end of a flexible metal clip 10, which is also cemented in under said clip. The upper end of said clip is flared, as at 11, so that it will not readily pull out from under the strip. The lower part of the paper strip 8 is'loose, giving space Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 25, 1906. Serial'No. 327,643.

Patented March 19 1907.;

suflicient for two flaps 8 and 8 which may be doubled on the, line 12 over the mouth 13 of the envelop. I The depending portion 10 of the -metal clip is free to be bent up over the folds produced by theclosure. I p i In use the upper ends of the sides 6 and7 of the bag are brought together and folded down along the line 9 upon the strip '8, the lower flap 8 of which is then folded up over the mouth of the bag, as shown in Fig; 2. Then the sides of the bag and the strip are all folded again upon the line 14, thereby producing a closure through which granular or other. material cannot leak. The closure is then secured by bending up the metal clip 10 over the folds and over the top of the back, thereby holding the closure against unintentional unfolding or opening.

"The invention may be readily applied to envelops, in which case the sing e flap at the and having a free portion at the lower edge adapted-to fold over the mouth of the recep tacle, and a flexible metal fastener secure at one end under the strip and free at the other end tov be bent over the said folds.

2. A bag or envelop closure comprising a strip secured to the side of the receptacle below the mouth thereof and having a lower freeiportion adapted to be folded together with the upper part of the receptacle, and a flexible metal fastener secured at its upper end under the strip and free at its lower end to be bent over the said folds.

3. A bag or envelop closure comprising a strip secured at its upper edge to the side of 'enfold the upper part of the receptacle, and a flexible sheet-metal fastener having a flared upper end secured under the strip and free below said end to be bent over said folds.

In testimony whereof I have signed imy name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHN B. MERKELS.

Witnesses:

SIGNA FELTSKOG,

H. G. BATOHELOR.

.strip secured .to the side of the receptacle I thereceptacle and free at its lower edge to 

